I have a confession to make - one that will label me a heretic in this modern world, or worse, a luddite.
I turned my phone off.
Yes - my wonderful phone, miracle of modern technology, my link to the world and all the people I know - I turned it off. Not to “in flight” mode. Not to silent. Off.
I know, I know...my phone is really a powerful computer - I’m told that it has more computing power than NASA could muscle up in the control room in 1969 used when they first put a man on the moon. It can find any information I think I might want to know and much that I am sure I don’t. It can play my music or video. It can store and send email. I can read more news and current affairs than anyone outside of national security really wants to know. I can search the data bases of the world. I can take photos, even video with it and upload it before I even leave the park. It is my link to the world. And I turned it off.
At the time I committed my act of heresy I was at a family picnic. My loved ones were with me - I could talk to them in person. Work didn’t need to contact me - (and if it did what would that say about training, delegation and leadership density?). I did not need to access any of the social networks to which I belong. I did not need to tell the world I was having a great time. But I needed to let my family know that they are important - much more important than the electronic distractions that masquerade as essential elements of daily life. So I turned my phone off and “lived the moment”.
Technology might be important - but people are more so.
How often do you see people having a conversation stopping while one answers a phone? Even worse, to send a text that could be sent later when not talking to someone. Why is a person kilometres away more important than someone right there with you? Chances are they are not - so why put your face to face friend on hold?
Mobile technology is our servant - not our master.
Phone image:
http://cdn.cbsi.com.au/story_media/339302015/samsung-galaxy-s_4.jpg
I turned my phone off.
Yes - my wonderful phone, miracle of modern technology, my link to the world and all the people I know - I turned it off. Not to “in flight” mode. Not to silent. Off.
I know, I know...my phone is really a powerful computer - I’m told that it has more computing power than NASA could muscle up in the control room in 1969 used when they first put a man on the moon. It can find any information I think I might want to know and much that I am sure I don’t. It can play my music or video. It can store and send email. I can read more news and current affairs than anyone outside of national security really wants to know. I can search the data bases of the world. I can take photos, even video with it and upload it before I even leave the park. It is my link to the world. And I turned it off.
At the time I committed my act of heresy I was at a family picnic. My loved ones were with me - I could talk to them in person. Work didn’t need to contact me - (and if it did what would that say about training, delegation and leadership density?). I did not need to access any of the social networks to which I belong. I did not need to tell the world I was having a great time. But I needed to let my family know that they are important - much more important than the electronic distractions that masquerade as essential elements of daily life. So I turned my phone off and “lived the moment”.
Technology might be important - but people are more so.
How often do you see people having a conversation stopping while one answers a phone? Even worse, to send a text that could be sent later when not talking to someone. Why is a person kilometres away more important than someone right there with you? Chances are they are not - so why put your face to face friend on hold?
Mobile technology is our servant - not our master.
Phone image:
http://cdn.cbsi.com.au/story_media/339302015/samsung-galaxy-s_4.jpg
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